The Foundling: and Other Tales of Prydain [Paperback]

Lloyd Alexander (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 9 and up

Six short stories dealing with events that preceded the birth of Taran, a key figure in the author's five works on the Kingdom of Prydain.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Eight short stories explore the mythical land of Prydain, the setting of the acclaimed fantasy series that includes the 1969 Newbery Medal winner, The High King (1969). Ages 8-12.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From the Publisher

Enter the world of Prydain for a journey into enchantment. Meet Dallben the enchanter as a foundling, and follow him through his youth. Learn the sad history of the sword of Dyrnwyn, and rejoice at the romance of Princess Angharad at the Castle of Llyr. Discover the secret of Doli of the Fair Folk and his magic stone. Take a step into the land of Prydain--a place you will never forget. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Puffin (February 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140378251
• ISBN-13: 978-0140378252
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.3 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (43 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,140,173 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Few writers have inspired as much affection and interest among readers young and old as Lloyd Alexander. At one point, however, it seemed unlikely that he would ever be a writer at all. His parents could not afford to send him to college. And so when a Philadelphia bank had an opening for a messenger boy, he went to work there. Finally, having saved some money, he quit and went to a local college. Dissatisfied with not having learned enough to be a writer he left at the end of one term. Adventure, he decided was the best way. The United States had already entered World War II. Convinced that here was a chance for real deeds of derring-do, he joined the army -- and was promptly shipped to Texas where he became, in disheartening succession an artilleryman, a cymbal player in the band, an organist in the post chapel, and a first-aid man. At last, he was assigned to a military intelligence center in Maryland. There he trained as a member of a combat team to be parachuted into France to work with the Resistance. "This, to my intense relief, did not happen," says Alexander. Instead, Alexander and his group sailed to Wales to finish their training. This ancient, rough-hewn country, with its castles, mountains, and its own beautiful language made a tremendous impression on him. But not until years later did he realize he had been given a glimpse of another enchanted kingdom. Alexander was sent to Alsace-Lorraine, the Rhineland, and southern Germany. When the war ended, he was assigned to a counterintelligence unit in Paris. Later he was discharged to attend the University of Paris. While a student he met a beautiful Parisian girl, Janine, and they soon married. Life abroad was fascinating, but eventually Alexander longed for home. The young couple went back to Drexel Hill, near Philadelphia, where Alexander wrote novel after novel which publishers unhesitatingly turned down. To earn his living, he worked as a cartoonist, advertising writer, layout artist, and associate editor for a small magazine. It took seven years of constant rejection before his first novel was at last published. During the next ten years, he wrote for adults. And then he began writing for young people.Doing historical research for Time Cat he discovered material on Welsh mythology. The result was The Book of Three and the other chronicles of Prydain, the imaginary kingdom being something like the enchanted land of Wales. In The Remarkable Journey of Prince Jen Alexander explored yet another fantastic world. Evoking an atmosphere of ancient China, this unique multi-layered novel was critically acclaimed as one of his finest works. Trina Schart Hyman illustrated The Fortune-tellers as a Cameroonian folktale sparkling with vibrant images, keen insight and delicious wit. Most of the books have been written in the form of fantasy. But fantasy, Alexander believes, is merely one of many ways to express attitudes and feelings about real people, real human relationships and problems

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Modern Fairy Tales with Old World Flavor, August 16, 1999

By 

Stewart McGregor Cook (Fountain Inn, SC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Foundling: And Other Tales of Prydain (Hardcover)

This collection of short stories focuses on events long before Lloyd Alexander's Prydain Chronicles. While it sheds more light on some of the characters and situations in that series, the book really stands alone. And, to be honest, I liked it better. Alexander evokes the atmosphere of the best fairy tales without merely copying them. Often, modern writers in this genre try to candy coat the material, removing the danger and threat of evil from their fantasies; or they merely parody existing tales, attempting to add "sophistication" to their stories so that we jaded adults will like them, too. Alexander is above such tactics. These stories are really morality tales about honor, the price of knowledge, the importance of community, the value of friendship, the sacredness of life. Readers, regardless of their ages, come away having learned something. But Alexander is never preachy or obvious; he tells his tales with wit, charm, and imagination. Buy this book for yourself, read it to your children, and save it for your grandchildren.

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must-read for the fans of the Prydain Chronicles!, March 9, 2003

By 

Priscilla Stafford (Yokohama, Japan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Foundling: and Other Tales of Prydain (Paperback)

I've always loved reading the Prydain Chronicles by Lloyd Alexander. Filled with great adventures, the Prydain Chronicles tells the story of Taran, a lowly assistant pig-keeper, who grows up fighting evil with the comradship of numerous friends. His most beloved friends include the high-spirited and talkative Princess Eilowny, the faithful to the end Gurgi, and Fflewddur Fflam, a king who wants to be a bard. In the five books of the Prydain Chronicles, Alexander opened up the reader's eyes to a wonderful world of imagination.

In "The Foundling and Other Tales of Prydain", the reader is given a chance to explore more of Prydain, the world of adventure and magic. Altogether, there are eight enchanting tales in this book:
"The Foundling": Learn about Dallben when he was young and find out how he came to be in possession of The Book of Three.
"The Stone": Read about the lovable yet still bad-tempered Doli of the Fair Folk and his magic stone.
"The True Enchanter": The story of how Princess Eilowny's mother, Princess Angharad of the Castle of Llyr, finds true love with a true enchanter.
"The Rascal Crow": As Medwyn, the ancient guardian and protector of animals, the rascal crow Kadwyir learns a valuable lesson in an Aesop's Fable type of story.
"The Sword": Learn the terrible and tragic story of Rhitta, the sword Durnwyn, and the Spiral Castle.
"The Smith, the Weaver, and the Harper": Of the three, who was the wisest and became a hero as he faced evil?
"The Truthful Harp": King Flewddur Fflam maybe getting a lot more than he expects when he receives a beautiful harp...
"Coll and His White Pig": Finally, the story of brave Coll when he sets out to rescue Hen Wen, his white pig.

A truly must-have book for the Prydain Chronicles fans, this book won't disappoint. Though this book is aimed mroe for Young Adults, teens and adults might probably enjoy this book, too. I love how the stories blend into the history of Prydain and how us readers can learn more about our favorite characters. Though it wouldn't matter whether you read this before or after the Prydain Series, I suggest that afterwards is better, I think this book will be better enjoyed that way. Don't forget to read the author's note! All-in-all, a short read full of terrific stories!

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Classic Chronicles, October 6, 2005

By 

E. A Solinas "ea_solinas" (MD USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

Lloyd Alexander's "Chronicles of Prydain" have become a classic staple of fantasy literature, a few rungs below "Lord of the Rings" and a few inches down from "Chronicles of Narnia." In this volume, all six books in his series are brought together, showing all of Prydain's beauty, richness, humor and sorrow as one big book.

"The Book of Three" opens with Assistant Pig-Keeper Taran yearning for adventure -- and getting more than he bargains for when he chases the pig into the woods, and is nearly run down by a sinister horned rider. Soon he teams up with a wandering king-minstrel, a sharp-tongued princess and a furry creature called Gurgi to save Prydain from the power of the Horned King.

"The Black Cauldron" has Taran and the others setting out to destroy Arawn Deathlord's evil cauldron, which turns dead men into unkillable zombies. But other forces are after the cauldron, including three peculiar witches who insist on trading something for the cauldron. What is worse, the company faces treachery from someone in their own camp...

"The Castle of Llyr" ties up some loose ends from the first book, as Princess Eilonwy is sent to the isle of Mona to become a fine lady. But she has barely arrived when she is kidnapped by a minion of the evil enchantress Achren, her "aunt." Taran sets out to save her, but must team up with the young man who wishes to marry Eilonwy -- even though Taran is rapidly falling in love with her.

"Taran Wanderer" has Taran setting out to discover his past, since he feels he can't ask Eilonwy to marry him if he is lowborn. With only Gurgi at his side, he encounters evil wizards, malevolent bandits, and finally learns that his father just might be a shepherd... until a new revelation leads him to learn of his true worth.

"The High King" wraps up the saga, with Taran returning home. But no sooner has he arrived than he learns that noble Prince Gwydion has been half-killed -- and the magical sword Dyrnwyn has been stolen by Arawn Deathlord. Now the heroes set out one and for all to attack Arawn's stronghold and get back the sword -- but how can they defeat a deathless army and a shapeshifting enemy?

Finally, "The Foundling" fills in a few of the gaps with short stories that illustrate the backstory of the Prydain novels. Among the stories are the tragic history of Dyrnwyn, how the wizard Dallben was reared by the three witches (and where he got the Book of Three), and the love story of Eilonwy's parents.

Take two parts "Lord of the Rings," add a bit more humor and comedy, and stir in bits and pieces of Welsh mythology. That pretty much sums up the Prydain Chronicles, which is one of the rare series that is meant for kids, but is as rich an experience for adults. Even better, if they know the origins of the old legends and myths that make up the edges of these stories. Alexander populates this little world with evil enchantresses, deathless warriors, eager teenagers and talking crows, all the while coming up with an original storyline that doesn't smack of lifted legends.

In a sense, the whole series is a coming-of-age story, where Taran learns wisdom, maturity, loss and love. Oh yeah, and that that Chinese curse about interesting times is quite correct. Princess Eilonwy and the bard-king Fflewddur Fflam add a bit of comic relief, but they are also strong characters in their own right, as is the fuzzy sidekick Gurgi, who goes from being an annoyance to a loyal and lovable friend.

"The Chronicles of Prydain" are fantasy at its best, mingling myth and legend with a fast-paced plot and endearingly quirky characters. Definitely not something to miss.